CPA Bulletin

www.cpa.uk.net CPA Bulletin > November 2019 45 LEGAL: 2 Plans to Increase and Expand the Reach of the National Living Wage The Chancellor Sajid Javid MP has announced a new target for the National Living Wage. The planned changes include: • Setting the National Living Wage rate so that it reaches £10.50 by 2024 • It will be extended to 23-year-olds from 2021 and 21-year-olds by 2024 The Chancellor explained that this will be an equivalent pay rise of £4,000 for the average full-time worker on the National Living Wage. The National Living Wage currently applies only to those over the age of 25. Extending Pregnancy Protection from Redundancy An employee at risk of redundancy while on maternity, adoption, or shared parental leave has the right to be offered any suitable alternative vacancy that is available. The government is proposing to extend this protection to: • Pregnant employees, once they have told their employer of their pregnancy • Employees returning frommaternity or adoption leave within the previous six months • Parents returning from shared parental leave [This has yet to be finalised] The government has said that implementation of this will be brought forward when Parliamentary time allows. Proposed Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay The government has confirmed that it intends to introduce a right for bereaved parents to take paid time off work. Under the current proposals, bereaved parents will be able to take leave: • As a single two week period, or, • As two separate periods of one week each, or • As a single week. Under the proposals, the parent(s) will have 56 weeks from their child’s death to take the leave. The new right is expected to come into force in April 2020. If employers haven’t already a bereavement leave policy, then they should look to inform their workforce of it prior to next year’s implementation. Clean Air Zones (CAZ) - UK Update • Newcastle - A consultation is expected to be launched (at the time of writing) imminently on a class D Clean Air Zone (CAZ), which would include HGVs, vans and private cars. • Bath - Bath and North East Somerset Council launched a final consultation to gather views about the details of its CAZ. The consultation closed on 20th October 2019. • Dundee - A briefing event was held for hauliers on 9th October on its proposed Low Emission Zone (LEZ). • Portsmouth - A new proposal for a class B CAZ has emerged, which would include HGVs. Members are advised to regularly review City and County Council websites to familiarise themselves on any proposed changes. Improving Vehicle Fuel Efficiency The Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has produced guidance to help improve the fuel efficiency of a vehicle. The main areas are: • Anticipate the actions of other drivers • Slow down using momentum • Speed • Tyres - keeping them properly inflated • Limiting the use of air conditioning • Engine idling More information can be found at www.movingon.blog.gov . uk/2019/09/17/6-tips-to-improve-your-vehicles-fuel-efficiency/